In this economy, these former city workers may now go for many months–if not longer–without a good job. How many public resources will they use collecting unemployment or visiting the emergency room after their benefits run out?

As hard-hearted and shortsighted as the political majority may be in Texas, our state government officials can at least claim that people got what they voted for.

In Houston, city voters supported Barack Obama with 61% of the vote in 2008. Both final candidates in the Houston 2009 mayoral runoff vote were Democrats. City voters elected a majority Democratic City Council in 2009.

Yet we have a budget in Houston that appears to reflect many of the same values we find in our state budget.

If a Republican Mayor and council had proposed this budget, they would be criticized by the same people now attacking Governor Perry and the legislature.

Democrats and progressives have a right and a duty to ask more of Mayor Parker.

Tax increases should have at least been on the table.

If we are going to ask Rick Perry and Republicans in control of state government to find more revenue to meet the legitimate needs of Texans, we should ask the same of Annise Parker and our Houston City Council.

It appears that working people and the poor are the ones taking the cuts in this budget.

Where are the Democrats and the progressives asking hard questions about if the budget could have been structured in some other way?